Monthly Report: May 2021

under Contract No. 72053220C00001, with the primary goal of promoting peace and development in Jamaica. The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is focused on addressing the root causes of violence and promoting positive youth development. In May 2021, the program's activities included planning and outreach efforts, training and grants, and administrative tasks. The planning and outreach activities involved meetings with various stakeholders, including the Office of the Prime Minister's National Commission on Violence Prevention, the PIOJ Community Renewal Program, and the USAID COR. These meetings aimed to discuss baseline data, access stakeholders, and explore potential collaborations. The training and grants activities included the completion of a Social and Behavioral Science (SBS) training, which concluded on May 25 with 46 participants representing 18 organizations. The program also released a Request for Application (RFA) for concept notes to support the implementation of SBS activities within the target communities. Additionally, 16 Peacebuilding grant proposals were submitted by the deadline of May 31 and will be evaluated in June. The program's administrative tasks included personnel interviews for six additional staff positions, with hires expected in June 2021. The program also started health insurance, life insurance, and retirement plans for local staff after reaching the 10-staff-member threshold. Furthermore, a lease agreement was signed for an office space at the Courtleigh Center on May 28, and DI's Jamaica bank account became fully operable effective May 12. The program encountered several issues in May 2021, including administrative and programmatic challenges. The Jamaican government's COVID restrictions continued to interfere with staff's ability to visit counterparts and communities, impacting activities and spending. Despite advertising the consultancy in local papers twice and conducting outreach through local professional networks, no qualified consultants applied for the baseline assessment STTA. The program staff continued to conduct outreach but will also begin rapid assessments of the target communities led by the technical and MEL teams. For the next month, the program anticipates reviewing and awarding Peacebuilding grants to at least six groups, completing the Positive Youth Development (PYD) training for over 40 community leaders, launching an RFA for family-assets training for all target communities, and hiring a consultant to prepare a Positive Deviance workshop and subsequent RFA. The program also plans to begin rapid assessments in the target communities and complete the first draft of the youth assessment tool.